3-way valves

[kchayfie]

I am currently designing an iron/manganese removal filter plant and I plan to settle my dirty backwash water, dispose of the supernatant and remove backwash sludge via road tanker. I have 2 washwater settlement tanks and in order to ensure that a flow path is always open, I would like to use a 3-way valve to divert washwater to the on-line tank while the other tank is settling.

A senior colleague has reviewed my preliminary design and is of the view that it won't be possible to get a big enough 3-way valve (the inlet pipe diameters will be of the order of 350-400mm). During informal conversations with the client he thought he had seen these valves used elsewhere but couldn't remember the details. A quick google search has left me empty-handed.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get 3-way valves this size, and if so where we might find them? (ideally UK or Europe as the plant will be the UK).

Thanks

 

[TLF1]

If you can't find three way valves large enough to suit tour needs, why not consider two plug valves with their lever operators linked so that when one opens, the other one closes.

 

[katmar]

You can easily get them up to 300 mm and with a bit of a search I would suspect that you will find a 400 mm valve. But is this really what you need? Why not use 2 butterfly valves linked through your control system? They would be smaller, lighter, significantly cheaper and easier to maintain. You need to weigh these advantages up against the risks of the control system failing and having both valves open, or both closed, at the same time.

Katmar Software
Engineering & Risk Analysis Software

http://katmarsoftware.com

 

[bimr]

This company makes such a valve:

http://www.az-armaturen.de

http://www.konwell.fi/tuotteet/data/attachments/Yleis_englisch.pdf

A three way valve is going to be expensive and it will probably be more economical to buy two separate valves.

Since you are discharging to atmosphere, you can probably intentional undersize the valve to save cost and reduce the discharge pressure.

 

[Hench]

Have a look here

http://www.dezurikwater.com/Literature_PDF/20_00_2.pdf

Not sure about Europe though.

Good Luck!

Hench